Hans Christian Andersen: The Fir Tree (Hutchinson 2015)
Danish author Andersen wrote plays, novels and poems throughout his life, but he is still best known for his fairy tales. He was attracted to the theater since childhood, and he knew Shakespeare’s all plays by heart. He traveled a lot, and even met Charles Dickens in England. He based his tales on Danish, German and Greek legends, historical facts and folk tales, and colored them all with a special melancholy mood. A total of 156 of his tales were published in 9 volumes and translated into 125 languages.
In the story of The Fir Tree, the little forest pine can’t wait to grow up and become a mast or a Christmas tree. Finally, the latter happens, and he experiences the beauty of Christmas Eve, the warmth of the decorations and the tales that are told. However, one day, Christmas is over and the pine trees always receive the same fate. The main message of the story is that we shouldn’t rush time, because it passes by itself, even too quickly when you look back. Let’s find something worth loving in every season.
PS: After this story, you’ll definitely think about buying an artificial tree for Christmas.
